Automatic leveling apparatus.



A. WAIN.

AUToMATm LEVBLING APPARATUS. Y APPLICATION FILED NOVY.4,1908. @2590580 Patented June 35, i909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

A in, o r

ALBERT W f1 il IGAGO, ILLINGIS.

AU'MATC LEVTIT G APPARATUS.

no. s251058.

To all who/a t 'may concern.'

Se .it known that I, Aiiniiirr ifi/lira', a eiti zen of the United States, residing at Chicago county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful lnrprovcments in Automatic .Leveling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

illy invention relates to leveling devices or tripod-lieads for engineers levels, Compasses, plane-tables, etc., but more especially it re- -a es to leveling devices, Where it is necessarb to o tain a perfect level, and it is desirable to accomplis i the same as rapidly and with as little risk of error as is possible.

The object of my invention is to provide a leveling device of the character mentioned, which will be adapted W ien proper y arranged to automatically bring to aperfect level, the instrument mounted upon the same. i l

` of my invention is to A. further object provide a device of the character mentioned, 4which will bp of the highest possible elli# ciency, and .which will be of comparatively simple construction, hence, of lonr cost to niarnifacturc. y

(Ether objects will appear heieinafter. 7

With these objects in View, .iny invention. consists in a characterized as in certain details of gement of parts all as particularly pointed out in the claims.

i ly invention will be more readily undcrstood y reference to the accompanying drawings forniinga part of this specification, and in which,

Figure l is a sid e elevation of the preferred form of iny device showing the application of trie saine in connection with an eiigine'ers level, Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof, the level telescope being removed, Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on substantially the line ita: of Fig. 2, and 1ig. ll is a horizontal section thereof taken on substantially the line fJ'-- r/ of Fig, 3.

eferring now to the drawings, l indicates the ordinary circular' metal table of a tripod te the under surface of which are pivot'ally J connected the ordinary legs 2 thereof. Said table is provided with a centrally disposed,

a i t-emlty-of which iS vertically extending threaded circular perforation 3. Snuglylitting and tl said perforation 3 is le lower exa centrally posi- Centrally posia plug 4 in tl li'xed tioned, depending hook 5.

Speeiicaton of Letters Patent.

Application le November ircaded into Fatented June 15, 1909.

1 1, i903. Serial No. 460,988.

l ti'oiied, and' upwardl iplug e, the saine l integrallyT tl'ierewitli, l cylindrical shank 6, the upper extremity of l W non is. provided with a )all 7, preferably ,formed integrally t creu'ith. Said` ball 7 l from said f formed` uced, preferably y extending eing preferabl is a red may be of any suitable diameter, but is perfectly spherical in sha e, the center thereof lying exactly in ongitudinal the line of the l axis of the plug t and shank 6. i nugly and tending threaded shanlrs 11 of eyes 12. l' Threaded upc-n said eye-slianks 11, are ad- I justing thumb-nuts 13. d

14 indicates a retaining plate which may be of any suitable shape, but is preferably, as shown in the drawings, triangoli r. Said plate is prorir'ed with a centrally positioned, circular perforation 15 of a diameter slightly less than that of the ball 7. The rounded circular edge surrounding the perforation l5 of said plate 14, rests in close proximity to the peripheral surface of the ball 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, said plate being se cured to the annular flange 16 of the cup 8 )y means of threaded bolts 17 extending through said plate and `flange and nuts 18 threaded lupon the upper end portions of said bolts, said plate being spaced apart from said flange preferably by means of sleeves l10 provided upon said bolts i7 and interposed between said plate and said ange. Centrally positioned and vertically extending from said cup member S, the axis thereof in other words being perpendicular to the plane of the arms 9, is a cylindrical projection 20, saine being preferably formed integral with said cup 8. Suitably fixed, preferably by being threaded, at its center upon the base portion 2l of said proar spider-disk 22. Said upon .the upper surface of the disk 22 spider dislt24 the saine as that oil the dish tral. portions 25 and 26, respectively, disks 22 and 24 are of less than that of the vperipheral portions 27 and 28, respectively, thereof', hence, said of said disks contact each other at their peripheral struction and arrangement of parts without portions only, as clearly shown in 29 is a'washer and 3() a lock-nut threaded upon the upper end portion of said projection 20, the sanie serving obvious purposes.

Radially extending and arranged diametrieally opposite each other upon the upper surface el' the disk 24, the same being preferf1ably formed integrally therewith, are vertically and horizontally extending stiindards 31 upon which is arranged so that the axis thereof shall be in a plane parallel to said disk 24, and secured in any suitable manner thereto, but preferably by screws 532, a telescope 33 of any ordinary or preferred form.v Having their; uppei` extremities -l suitably 'fixed to the eyes l2 andthe lower extremities 35 fixed to a plumb 36 of any suitable weight are cords 37. Said cords are of equal lengths and are preferably formed of metal, the latter not readily being a'd'ected by the weather.

In order to facilitate the initial proper positioning ory ad`ust1nent of my device,- thatV is, of the plum) 236, the before-mentioiied hook 5 is provided, the same being as before stated, in alineinent with the longitudinal axis ol' the plug 4 and shank t. lfpon adjusting the tripodso that the table thereof shall be in a horizontal plane, a plumb is suspended from said hook and the exact position of the 1ower extremity or pointthereof v is noted. New upon suspending the plumb from theeyes 12- by the cords 15?, by means of the adjusting nuts il it is evident that the point of said plumb may be brought to register exactly with the before noted position thereof, whereupon it is evident that the arms 9 the disks 22 and 24, and ronseipiently the telescope 33, will be positioned in a horizontal plane.

By the provision ol a device as described, it is evident that a reliably ellieient form of automatically adjustable leveling apparatus for carrying :iii engineers leijei Atelescope or other similar instrument is facilitated, in siiring' positive and immediate or instantaneous positioning of said instrumentin a thickness slightly i l j preferable form of my device, l do not Wish l i l l i l of aconstruetion substantially operative position lwithout regard to the The een l,

which the engineer' may character of the surface of the ground over Y be required to pass. While l have shown what lv deem to be the to be "limited thereto, as there might be many changesinade in the details ol condeparting from the spirit of in v invention.

,find although l have designed my device with special reference to engineers levels, it is understood that I may use the saine in connection with any other instrument or device to which it is applicable.

Having described my invention what l claim as new, and desire to sei-ure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a device of the kclass described, the

combination with a table, of a ball supported above said table, a'semi-splierieal cup member mounted upon said ball, radially extending arms projecting from said' cupV ineinbei' and provided with perfoi'ations 1n the ends thereof, eye-bolts slidably mounted in said perforations, thumb-nuts threaded upon the upper end portions of said bolts and resting upon the Cords secured 'to and depending `from the eyes of said bolts, a plumb secured to the lower extremities of said` cords, means for locking said cup member against displacenient from said ball, and means connected with said eup member foi-'supporting an engineers telescope,substantial y as described.

2. ln a device of therlass described, the combination of a table, with a ballsu )ported above the saine, a semi-siherieal cup, mounted' upon said ball, a cylindrical proifi-tian extending upwardly -froni said cup,

a dial: threaded to the base iortion of said noieetion, said projection a iove said disk enig smooth and reduced in diameter, a second dish resting uien said iirst inentioned disk and pivotally mounted upon the upper surfaces of said'arnis,

-upper reduced portion of said projection, I

substantiallyr as'deseribed.

ln testimony vvliereol l have signed my name to this speeilieation in the presence of tivo subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT WAlN.

Vi'itnesses: JANET ll. llenan,

il". tl tutti'. ii. 

